Calhoun County commissioners approve tax borrowing, several road contracts and a trailhead grant application

Calhoun County commissioners on March 19 approved a package of routine finance and road-construction items, and authorized a grant application for a new trailhead that county staff said would open public access to 256 acres at the MAJOR Campus.

The Board unanimously approved a resolution authorizing short-term delinquent tax anticipation notes, an annual measure that lets the Treasurer’s Office advance funds to make local units whole while delinquent property taxes are collected later in the year. "This is the standard annual authorization that allows the Treasurer to manage cash flow for local units," Administrator/Controller Kelli Scott said. The motion (Res.039-2026) passed on a roll-call vote: yes — Commissioners Derek King (chair), Monique French, Al Morehart, Dominic Oo, Dan Strowbridge, Matt Saxton and Gary Tompkins.

Commissioners also awarded multiple contracts for road work. The Board approved contractor selections for RFQ#106-26, the county’s pothole-patching program for spring–fall 2026; Road Department managing director Kristine Parsons said the county will provide asphalt and that patching is expected to run April through September (Res.040-2026). The county awarded the 2026 countywide hot-mix asphalt (HMA) paving contract to low bidder Lakeland Asphalt (Res.041-2026). Lakeland Asphalt was also approved as the contractor for the 6 Mile Road rehabilitation, a joint project with Leroy and Newton townships; Parsons provided the construction timeline to the Board (Res.042-2026). Each road-related motion passed by roll-call votes with all seven commissioners voting yes.

On parks and trails, the Board approved a Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grant application to build a trailhead on 15 Mile Road that would provide the first public access to 256 acres under a conservation easement on the MAJOR Campus. Assistant County Administrator for Community Services Doug Ferrall described the work as the first phase in developing about three miles of trail along the Kalamazoo River and said the initial phase would include a paved trail and ADA-accessible parking. The grant-authorization motion (Res.043-2026) passed unanimously.

The Board also approved the claims-payable listing for Feb. 26–Mar. 11, 2026 totaling $7,071,331.49 (Res.044-2026). "We appreciate the Road Department’s work preparing the bids and staff assistance provided during recent storm responses," Scott said; she noted the county will seek reimbursement from neighboring counties for resources used to assist with tornado response. Scott also announced the Opioid Settlement Funds Steering Committee will meet March 24 to roll out an Emerging Needs Fund the Board approved in February.

During two Citizens’ Time periods, residents raised local concerns. Shannon McCloskey of Emmett Township reported continuing personal-property damage from off-road vehicles at Ott Biological Preserve. Chris Vreeland of Fredonia Township urged local measures to protect residents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations. Kathryn Fischer of Pennfield Township updated commissioners on MSU Extension services. Assistant Community Development Director Lucy Hough voiced support for the DNR trust fund application and highlighted a trail event this weekend at Kimball Pines.

The meeting opened and closed with routine business: approval of the agenda and March 5 minutes, recognition of committee activity and announcements, and adjournment at 7:42 p.m.

Next steps: Road work is scheduled to begin with pothole patching in April and continue through September; the county will submit the MNRTF grant application per staff recommendation; and the Opioid Settlement Funds Steering Committee meets March 24 to discuss distribution of the Emerging Needs Fund.